Eternal Sonata
by Kanryu
Summary: He heard her concert performance and believed that she was too talented to just remain a local performer. Sasuke strives to take her under his wing to better his performance, and also to encourage her to be better than she thought she could ever possibly deserve. AU. M-Rated for later chapters.
1. Prelude

**Author's Note:**

Hey everyone! I know I've been away for a very, very long time, especially after my other story, _**Enervis**_. I truly apologize for that, as life has been a bit hard for me as I'm struggling with a few personal issues, as well as handling my first adult job related to my career. Adulting is hard.

On another note, I wonder how many of my readers will still read my works, as I know that I don't frequent this site as often as I used to.

I hope you guys will be receptive to my new piece. Aiming for weekly updates!

Please leave a review, because I honestly did miss you guys, and I would love to hear your guys' opinion on my current writing style and my ideas.

Much love - _**Kanryu**_. _12/02/2017_

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own _Naruto_ , nor do I own the PS3 game _Eternal Sonata_ by _tri-Crescendo_ and _Namco Bandai Games_.

* * *

 ** _Prelude_**

Sasuke barely contained a yawn behind a slender hand as he sat in the dimly lit auditorium. He straightened his posture in the red velvet seats, his expensive suit rustling quietly against the velvet upholstery as he did so. He sensed a pair of eyes on him, and immediately stopped his restless movements before he laced his fingers together and placed his hands just above his belt in a crisp manner, his elbows resting lightly on the armrests. The gaze on him relaxed, but not even minutes after, he felt a light nudge on his forearm.

Annoyance flashed across his face as he slightly tilted his head towards the woman to his left, his black eyes narrowing at the older woman whom he lovingly called mother.

 _'No.'_ He glared meaningfully at her.

 _'What is wrong with this one now, Sasuke?'_ Her eyes narrowed at him in return.

In the dimly lit auditorium, it was a wonder that they could even read each other's expressions. But it must've been the numerous times that they've been in this position that they already know what the other is thinking.

 _'Mother, you know the reason why.'_ He looked away from her and back at the brightly lit stage when the auditorium was filled with loud applause, where a lone white grand piano now stood. The violinist had just finished the performance, and was bowing to the crowd with a practised flourish, the violin neatly tucked against his side, the bow held gently in his hand. A backstage personnel quickly rushed through the stage to carry away the music stand the violinist had been using for the performance to the back.

After minutes and a couple bouquet of roses being thrown onto the stage as well as cheap plushies, the violinist finally exited the stage with his arms full of the gifts. Other stage personnel carried the rest of his gifts to presumably hand them to him in the back as he started to pack up from his performance.

Again, he sighed as he waited for the next performer to walk across the stage. He placed his elbow on the left arm rest and propped his cheek onto it, the stage now slightly tilted in his vision.

"Sasuke, would you please be so kind as to pay attention to your date?" Mikoto lightly whispered in his left ear, the one closest to her and farther away from his… _date_.

Just as he was about to give a sarcastic remark to his mother about his date not even having the balls to stutter out anything but a mere greeting, the announcer's voice gently boomed out from the speakers in the auditorium.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, this will be our last performance for the night, but it will definitely not be her last. Please, welcome the wonderful lady, Haruno Sakura, to the stage, where she will be playing a selection of Frédéric Chopin's fantastic works." His dulcet tones nearly lulled Sasuke to sleep, and he wondered if they all went to the same announcer-training school to learn how to bore the crowds to death with their monotonous and quiet voices.

The only thing interesting he heard was the fact that a lady will be performing Chopin's pieces. Very rarely has he heard or seen anyone perform Chopin's pieces played well, and it always disappointed him so when people couldn't understand how to Chopin properly.

Yes, he used Chopin as a verb.

Sasuke straightened in his seat once more, and reached into his right pocket to slip out the set list. The young woman beside him slightly jumped in her seat as his hand accidentally brushed the side of her forearm. It's shit like this that makes him so annoyed with the dates his mother sets him up on. None of the women has a back bone.

"Don't worry, I'm more interested in the set list the next performer is going to be playing than in you. You can rest assured your reputation's still chaste by the end of tonight." He lazily drawled out, his voice barely audible.

The woman flushed pink, and out of his peripheral vision, saw that his mother was once again exasperated at his attempts to… _charm_ his date.

On stage, a young woman was being led out by another man - presumably another performer from earlier on in the night. He couldn't care to remember. Her hair was a nice light-pink rose, the white and lacy sleeveless dress she wore nicely accentuating her pale skin as well as her slim frame. One hand was lightly resting on the left forearm of her guide, her other hand freely at her side. She did not have any sheet music with her.

He definitely appreciated that.

Some performers still have sheet music, but he preferred a performance with no sounds of pages flipping. It annoyed him to no end, and to him, it was a stab at a musician's professionalism. If other musicians can memorize their sheet music for mere recitals, then so can a professional performer for concerts.

The young woman turned to the crowd and gave a small bow before seating herself on the white piano bench. He noted her beautiful green eyes as she did so. Her lacy dress prettily cascaded over the side of the bench, revealing a pair of small feet in white strapped heels, with barely any added height to the back of them. He assumed it was for practical reasons, as it would make it much more difficult to use the pedals if the heels were any higher.

She held her hands briefly over the black and white keys, before gently pressing down on them. Light melancholic tones filled the auditorium as she played, the music starting at a low swell before crescendoing to a more difficult part of the piece, and retreating back to minute tones. He found himself relaxing in his chair at the Mazurka she played, the minutest of details captured on the keyboard by her skilled hands. There were no mistakes, and he watched her small figure at the piano on the stage below, her wrists moving flexibly in front of her, her posture refined, her feet pressing down on the sustain pedal at just the right time to allow the sounds to vibrate freely from the strings within.

Her fingers flew over the keyboard, almost as if though they were feeling the flow of the music rather than just her muscle memory coming into play. Sasuke noticed how delicate they looked, the pale slender fingers that seemed to carry so much force within them to be able to play Chopin's pieces so fluidly. A small sigh escaped his lips as his gaze traced from the pianist's fingers, then up towards her torso, where his eyes lingered briefly on her chest - the cut of the dress nicely accentuated her chest, her breasts just barely spilling from their lacy hold. Her eyes were closed, which is not unusual for a performer, but he thought it was rather a shame, as her eyes at such a startling green must have captivated more individuals than just him. Her shoulders went down just a slight touch as she finished off the Mazurka, only to rise again briefly after the last tones had settled, to start the tumultuous beginning of _Fantaisie-Impromptu._

He found himself drifting off, his eyes slowly fluttering at the lulling melody before it reached another crescendo peak in the music, the increasing volume snapping his eyes wide open. The piano solo piece was well-played, the smallest diminuendos still clearly defined by precise touches. It was strange; never has he felt so comfortable that he could fall asleep at a professional concert. Certainly he had been bored to sleep due to the performers displaying terrible technique which were very audible in the music they played, but never had the music been so…soothing and melancholic to say the least. He was also enchanted by her pale figure which went so well with her matching outfit to the white piano on stage; it gave her such a beautiful and ethereal glow to her as the stage lights focused only on her.

Unfolding the pamphlet to distract himself from sleep, Sasuke noted in the dim auditorium that the last piece would be Chopin's _Nocturne in B-flat Minor_. If this woman played _Mazurka Opus 33_ _No. 4_ and _Fantaisie-Impromptu_ with such precision and control, he has no doubt she would perform a spectacular rendition of the nocturne.

A small voice piped up from his right. "S-Sasuke-san, do you enjoy Chopin's works very much?"

He sighed heavily on the inside, just so not to disrupt the other attendees from the performance. "Yes, you could say that. I much rather listen to music where the performers don't make mistakes." He paused for a moment before continuing. "This young lady is the best performer of tonight, and it'd be a shame if we talked for the rest of her performance, don't you think?"

Sasuke turned to his date to look at her straight in the eyes to make a point. Even in the darkness he could tell she was blushing from embarrassment as she meekly nodded at him. Poor girl. She definitely wasn't ready to face up against his smart-ass personality, which meant she wasn't ready to date him. Period.

Reclining back into his seat to face the stage, he listened to the last few measures of _Fantaisie-Impromptu_ , which brought about a nostalgic and melancholic feel in the spacious auditorium. The last few notes were breathlessly played, almost as if her fingers merely danced across the keyboard in the lightest manner.

He stayed still as she adjusted her position on the piano bench after the piece. Her hands lifted her skirts with practiced ease as she adjusted her right foot on the sustain pedal. He noticed the way the muscles in her back shifted as she moved, the back of her dress sheer enough for him to see. She started playing the nocturne, her fingers delicately playing the first few measures, the music flowing happily across the black and white keys. It dipped lower into a more heartrending melody, the way the music was written making it hard to decipher if it was a joyful or sad transition.

He would definitely interpret the music as bittersweet. But it definitely takes someone of an empathetic nature to be able to depict the music in its intended view. This performer certainly intrigued him, and he doubted it would hurt him much to acquaint himself with her. After all, his mother had always been encouraging him on to see more women, so how bad could it be…aside from him planning to ditch his supposed date.

When the music ended, the whole auditorium stood up to give her a standing ovation. A gentle smile flitted across her features as she stood up and slowly walked to the front of the stage, as if she was counting her steps. She bowed to the crowd, and as she rose, her fellow performers joined the stage with her and waved amicably to the crowd.

Sasuke was a part of the standing crowd, and as he finished clapping, turned to the woman to his right. "You have a pretty face, and if I were to look for a one night stand, you'd probably be one of the top picks. But I like brains and sass with women I take seriously, and you seem to lack both in the two hours we sat together for. Hope you have a good rest of the night, and that you find someone who is more suitable for you in the future."

With that, he left an increasingly perplexed mother with a tear-filled woman in his wake.


	2. Prestissimo

**Author's Note** :

Thanks so much for the reviews from the first chapter! I'm overjoyed that readers are still receptive to my writing style and my ideas. It honestly means a lot.

I'm sorry that I couldn't respond to the reviews - work's at its busiest in the year, but know that I do appreciate them.

Also, one reviewer guessed what Sakura's condition is, so great job! You guys will find out what I mean in this chapter.

Update will be in a week's time! As always, lots of hugs and love for my readers, and even more so for reviewers, too!

 _Kanryu_ 2/20/2017

* * *

 _ **Prestissimo**_

Sasuke made his around to the back of the stage where a number of people crowded together - people he presumed who were the performers' fans. He waited in the back behind the crowd, leaning against the wall as he did so in the shadows of the curtains. He crossed his arms in front of him, surveying the people who were trying to hold a conversation with the few performers left. It wasn't easy asking for permission to enter the back, as the attendant was very insistent that only certain individuals were permitted.

 _"I'm sorry, sir, but you won't be allowed in." A young male dressed in a simple white dress shirt and black dress pants barred his entry._

 _Sasuke regarded the attendant with an even look, and watched as he continued to wave in attendees who were dressed in casual street clothing. That was when Sasuke understood what he must have looked like to the attendant - a pretentious man in an expensive suit who must be trying to woo the only female pianist in the room beyond. This must not have been the first time the attendant had experienced this._

 _"I think there must be a misunderstanding. I am merely here to give my gratitude to the performer for the last performance." He smoothly said in a charismatic tone._

 _The attendant narrowed his eyes as he regarded him again with a calculative look. He sighed, then finally said, "Alright, I'll be frank. There have been some men in the past who have slipped past and tried to sexually harass Haruno-san. I don't want to call security on you, and I'm certain that you wouldn't want that either, seeing as you may be someone of high standing based on how you are dressed. You don't want to have a sexual assault charge on your profile, right?"_

 _Sasuke was rather amused by how serious this guy in front of him was taking his job. "Haruno-san must be very nice for you to be so protective of her."_

 _"She is a respectable woman who treats everyone with kindness regardless of their backgrounds." The attendant professionally responded. "If you'd like to see her, sir, please give me your word that you will not verbally harass her or initiate any physical contact with her. I will treat your word as a verbal contract."_

 _"Very well, I agree to your verbal contract." Sasuke mused. He reached his hand into the breast pocket on the inside of his suit jacket, and produced a black business card from within its reaches. "If you'd like for me to verify a written contract as you had just specified, please feel free to email me at the address on that card."_

 _The attendant deftly took the business card and peered at it before his jaw dropped open. Sasuke quickly put a finger to his lips to silence him before his name could be uttered._

 _"I apologize for my insolence earlier, Uchiha-san. My name is Takeshi." He quietly said. "Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance."_

 _"I will let you know, but for now, thank you for doing your job properly." Sasuke winked at the young man before walking quietly past him. "If you email me, I can send you a pair of tickets to my next show, Takeshi."_

Sasuke watched as the last visitors and performers made their way out of the backstage area, leaving the young pinkette by herself seated in front of her makeup dresser. He straightened and walked out from behind the curtains. Takeshi glanced at him as he pulled the tassel which held the curtains drawn. The black velvet drapes fell together to close the entrance from allowing anymore visitors to come backstage. His shoes clicked resoundingly on the polished mahogany-coloured hardwood of the backstage as he made his way towards the young woman.

"Haruno-san, it was a pleasure to hear your entrancing performance tonight." Sasuke smiled at the still-seated pinkette. Her white lacy dress was alluring, and her perfectly red painted lips were slightly parted as she turned to face him, her expression inviting.

"Ah, thank you." She smiled back at him, her eyes not quite meeting his own. It seemed she was looking in the general direction of his voice, but her gaze wasn't quite fixated on his as his was on hers. "Did you happen to be sitting on the first balcony for the concert…?" She trailed off as she waited for him to introduce himself.

"Sasuke. And yes, I did happen to be sitting there. Why do you ask?" He didn't miss a beat and flashed her a smile, which would usually have others around him do a double take at his charm or even blush, but her lips only curved into a perfect smile, her cheeks still the same beautiful paleness it was before.

"Sasuke-san, if you don't mind me saying, I hope you were not giving the lady beside you any grief. She seemed very much distressed whenever you addressed her with your…dare I say, sass?" The pinkette bit her lip as her hand went up to push back the slight curls which brushed her shoulders behind her ear, her cheeks lightly flushed at the audacity of her question.

She was absolutely captivating, and she had no idea how much she interested him. Bold, yet shy. What a beautiful combination.

He was amused, yet intrigued by either how loud he was, or how good this lady's hearing is. "No, I would very much enjoy hearing how much of an asshole I sounded from where you sat if you'd excuse my language. Either I was much louder than I had intended, or you have impeccable hearing."

She turned away from him and gently rested her hands on top of the dresser, her face facing the mirror. "I'm flattered you did not notice, Sasuke-san. I only have 4 remaining senses which work for me, which means I'm able to use them more effectively." Then she paused briefly.

"I'm blind, you see."

Everything clicked into place at her words. But she seemed rather adaptable for someone who was blind.

"I honestly did not notice." He said softly in all seriousness. "You move very smoothly, and I'm awed by the fact that you can play the piano so very well without your sight."

She turned back to him with a small smile. "Am I the first blind performer you have met, Sasuke-san?"

The question took him a bit by surprise, but he recovered quick enough to provide a response in his usual manner. "The only one I've been interested in enough to speak to, yes."

Takeshi stepped in and cleared his throat to make his presence known, the look on his face apologetic. "Haruno-san, Uchiha-san, the cleaners are just about to start their shifts for the night, as it is almost 11pm. They would like for us to be out within 15 minutes. Would that be sufficient time for the both of you?"

"Oh, Takeshi, I'm so sorry. I hadn't realized it was this late. Yes, we can leave in a few. I just need to pack up my—" She started, before she was interrupted by her assistant.

"All done, Haruno-san." A smile graced his lips. "If you'd like, I can wait for you in the van as you two finish up."

"Yes, Takeshi, that sounds lovely." A sigh of relief escaped her plump lips. "I will finish up here soon and meet you in the parking lot out back."

As Takeshi left the two of them alone, evident by his fading footsteps, the young woman spoke to Sasuke once more. "So, Uchiha-san, when was it that you would have told me your identity?" She coyly asked. "It's rather flattering that a world-renowned violinist such as yourself would attend a local performance held by amateur performers. I apologize for calling you so informally before."

Sasuke smiled to himself, now knowing that the woman in front of him cannot see his features, and that he did not need to hide his emotions. He lifted his hand up to scratch the back of his head in defeat. "I was hoping to get to know you a bit over coffee or dinner before my surname surfaced, Haruno-san."

"And the reason you attended must not have been due to my scheduled performance tonight. I do not have much of a name to myself yet." Her voice contained a smile. "And please call me Sakura. I'd be rather embarrassed if a virtuoso such as yourself called me with such formalities."

"It would be an embarrassment to me if I could not give a fellow musician with such talent the respect she deserves." He countered with amusement in his tone. "What do you say to going for a coffee or someplace quiet to have some food? My treat."

"If only you gave your date as much respect as you are currently giving me, Uchiha-san." The pinkette hid a smile behind a slender hand as she stood up from her chair. "Coffee or dinner would sound great, but for now, I will have to deny your kind offer."

"I think it would be a shame that we missed a date based on my behaviour from earlier tonight." Sasuke did not miss a beat at her rejection. He wanted to get to know her better, and once he wanted something, he never stopped until he got it.

She turned to face him. "Uchiha-san, it is common knowledge that past behaviour almost always set the precedence for future behaviour. I would hate for my opinion of you to be smeared if anything were to go less than optimal."

"At least let me walk you to your vehicle, Haruno-san." Sasuke offered. "I would love the additional time to give you an explanation of my behaviour, and clear my reputation of any bad experiences."

"Uchiha-san, I want to state this as clearly as I can so that there are no misgivings." Sakura sighed as she snapped her walking stick to its full length so the end touched the floor. "I am not interested in entering a relationship at this point in time."

"If you insist, we do not have to know each other personally so soon into our meeting. We could be business partners." He offered. "I'm certain there are things you want to do in your career as a musician that I could help with, or even facilitate."

She paused, her expression conveying to him that she was seriously contemplating his offer. "Uchiha-san, I do hope that if you are so audacious as to provide me such an offer that you would provide this in writing. Wouldn't you also need to consult with your manager on this?"

"If you claim your hearing is as good as you make it out to be, I'm certain you must've heard another woman's voice to the other side of me." Sasuke smirked at her, his amusement clearly present in his tone. "She is my manager who also happens to be my mother, and I believe she would be more than delighted that I am speaking to another woman of such talent and beauty."


	3. Tremolo

**Author's Note:**

Hey everyone, I'm super sorry for the late update, but I just finished my death season at work and moved to another province to continue on my Master's studies.

Because I took so long to update, here's a longer chapter for you all!

Next chapter will be more dramatic, I swear.

* * *

 ** _Chapter 2 - Tremolo_**

"Sasuke, what is this with you wanting a business partner?" Mikoto sighed, an eyebrow raised at her youngest. "You already promised someone we'd help them without asking me?"

"Mother, I've pretty much established my own career without your support. I made all the business deals myself, and you suddenly decided to get involved in my affairs when I wasn't coming home with a girl in one hand or the other." Sasuke rolled his eyes as he walked over to the counter to pour himself his first cup of coffee for the day.

Mikoto made a face at his indifference. "Sasuke, you're 26. It's about time you thought about who you'd like to share your future with. I worry that you might've spent too much time making a name for yourself that you've neglected the potential romances which could've happened."

Sasuke quietly sipped his black coffee as he leaned over the black granite countertop, his elbows resting on the sparkling surface as he held his cup. Ever since he reached the status of one of the world's most renowned violinists, his mother had insisted he spent every waking moment trying to make small talk with women to try to "get to know their other lovely side". The fact that the women his mother introduced him to drove him crazy was more than enough to make him stop listening to her on any matters at all. It was his choice really, and the more she pushed, the more disinterested he was in the whole dating scene.

The women his mother introduced him to were definitely not mediocre by any means, their looks or family wealth-wise…but their personalities always irked him. On the numerous dates he'd been on, the women would either speak too much so that he couldn't get a word in, or they would not speak at all, or if they do, their voices barely rose above a whisper. Certainly, a musician of his calibre had no difficulty listening to minute sounds, but having to do that for hours and hours on end made his patience run thin with them.

"Mother." Sasuke placed his now empty mug on the counter with a sharp _clink!_ He realized he had completely tuned her out mid-rant, as he opened his eyes to find her looking at him with her mouth open. "We can always afford a surrogate if you want to have grandchildren one day if Itachi-nii or I aren't willing to just have children for your sake."

"Oh, don't even get me started on Itachi, Sasuke." Mikoto frowned.

"You can't change his sexuality, Mother. You should also be harassing him more than me because he's 31 and still an available bachelor." Sasuke sighed and wistfully looked at his empty mug of coffee, his eyes roaming over to the manual coffee press. To his dismay, it was empty.

"A bit slow there, little one." A soft whisper with a hint of a smile reached his ears. "I agree with Sasuke, Mother. Please don't get started on my sexuality if you don't mind."

"Aniki, you might need more of that, because I'm going for my morning run." He smirked as he stacked his cup into the dishwasher and slid it shut. "It's your turn."

"I'd rather listen to Mother's rants than get sweaty during a morning run, if you catch my drift." Itachi scrunched his nose up as he leaned against the counter with his right hip, one hand in the pocket of his jeans, the other tilting the remaining cup of coffee into his mouth.

"Itachi!" Mikoto scolded her oldest son. "Don't say such vulgar things so early in the morning!"

"Well, Mother. If you insist, I want you to know that even though the dates you've been setting me up on aren't working out, there were still a few that were very good in the sack." Sasuke humoured. "I'm sure if you call them to ask, they wouldn't deny that."

Itachi choked into his coffee at his words, but resumed drinking it without any further incident or words to him. He quickly walked out of the kitchen, just a step ahead of Sasuke.

" _Sasuke!_ "

 _~.Dolce.~_

The air was crisp with a bit of frost, and some of the leaves had already fallen from the trees, noted by the orange-red and yellow leaves littering the sidewalk. His steady pace was matched by the crunch of his running shoes on the discarded leaves. His feet felt like they were being lightly cushioned by the dying leaves beneath them, almost as if they wanted to give him an additional spring in his step with their dying breaths.

His headphones faithfully played the music from his red iPod Touch, which was securely fastened to his upper arm with a Velcro strap. After a night of wistful music, he thought it would be best to start the day off with something…cheerier. As his feet carried him down the boulevard of trees, the majestic opening of Beethoven's _Fifth Symphony_ crept into his ears. The sun grew stronger with each step he took, in rhythm with the grandiose piece. His pace changed with the swells in music, his heart rate increasing and decreasing with each change in movement.

By the time the run was over, he found himself at the cemetery which overlooked the calming ocean. He pulled the headphones out of his ears and draped the cord across his shoulders, his right hand coming up to the music player on his left bicep to stop the music. As odd as the locale of the resting place was, a lot of people sneak into the cemetery in order to get the beautiful view that only the cliffside where the cemetery was could provide. Peace officers would stand guard in front of the gates to ensure that no unauthorized individuals could go in. If any were caught, the trespassers would be issued a misdemeanour ticket. Essentially a slap on the wrist for trespassing, but there would be no criminal record associated with it.

The reason why this cemetery is now guarded is because family members of patrons of this cemetery thought that if traffic increased too much to become a regular thing, it would disrupt the dead's eternal slumber. The only exception to this rule is that if you can prove that you are a family member of the deceased then will you be allowed to enter the cemetery and enjoy the beautiful view of erected gravestones, a nice sea of aquamarine, and the sun in the horizon.

Sasuke thought the whole idea of having a cemetery in this area was rather ridiculous. The dead can't dictate what happens to them after the end, and if anything, having the cemetery on the spot which provided the best view this city could offer definitely put a damper on things. If he had a choice, he'd dig all the graves up and move it to a part of the city where there were little to no traffic.

He walked a few steps closer to the front gates of the cemetery where two peace officers stood, one who was texting on his phone, and the other taking the gate key out of his pocket to open the lock.

"Uchiha-san." The peace officer who was texting his name down to be listed in the records acknowledged him, the other officer simply tilting his head down as he pulled the gate open for him.

"Muku. Shoun." Sasuke acknowledged the two of them before walking past the gate and onto the trail to the cemetery.

The gate closed behind him, the shudder of the iron bars leaving a cold and echoing feel in its wake. As he made his way up the trail, his sneakered feet crunched on the trail's tiny black stones, polished and shiny, which matched the theme within the cemetery, as the tombstones and nameplates were immaculately clean and spotless, the only markings on them the epitaphs from their loved ones.

So early on in the morning, there was no one in the necropolis aside from the caretaker. Sasuke paused in his steps to greet the elderly man who had always been courteous to him ever since his first visit.

"Tanaka-jii-san, isn't it about time that you started taking care of yourself more instead of other people? Seems like it's about time for someone to take care of you soon." He raised his hand to shield the bright morning rays of sunlight from directly hitting his eyes as he squinted in the direction of the caretaker.

A series of hearty laughs sounded out in the still area, and then a warm voice. "Sasuke, you little bugger. Are you saying I'll drop dead soon? How utterly disrespectful of you!"

"You know how I am." Sasuke smirked and started to make his way towards him. "Gotta keep your blood heated, or else who knows what'll happen if no one dares rile you up in fear of you dropping at a moment's notice?"

Tanaka chuckled, a gentle smile appearing on those weathered lips of his. "Oh, Sasuke. I haven't seen you in so long. Come here."

Sasuke reached him and extended his hand out to the familiar elderly. "It has been a while, jii-san. Have you been well?"

Tanaka pulled the gloves off of his hands and thrust them into his gardener's belt before he grasped the outstretched hand tightly with both of his hands. His grip was firm, the wrinkled and tanned hands hiding the sheer strength within. "Oh, you know how it is. I clean my wife's tombstone here every day as I always have. And then after that, I clean the rest of the ones in this yard."

"Is that so? Has your mind changed any? You could still come see the world on my dime with the rest of my performers. My mind still has not changed about letting you come with me." Sasuke inquired, an eyebrow raised.

Tanaka sighed before slowly saying, "Sasuke, when you were just 12, you lost your father in a terrible, terrible car accident. I can't even begin to fathom the horrors you saw that day, or even the pain you've endured then and all the way up to this very day."

He gripped Sasuke's hand tighter at this point. "I had lost my wife only half a year before, and I remember being here as I usually was when the funeral procession for your father was being held. I went to pay my respects as I was already present, and I saw you there in a wheelchair that seemed two sizes too big for you, the pallor of your skin putting the bandages wrapped around your head to shame. Your left leg was encased in an air cast, but what I can't shake from my mind is the fact that I remember so distinctively the look in your eyes. You were physically here, but your mind was very much elsewhere."

"Jii-san—" Sasuke started, surprised by the dip in the subject topic, but was only cut off by the older gentleman.

"Please, Sasuke, if you will let me finish." His voice was sombre, and Sasuke dared not say anything further. "You had no tears, and it wasn't until all the attendees had left that I spoke to you. I remember saying something along the lines of—"

" _My dear boy, I am so sorry for your loss._ "

 _A slight nudge on his shoulder from the bodyguard made Sasuke aware that someone was actually talking to him. He listlessly looked up from a rather interesting patch of dirt by his feet with his one working eye only to see an elderly man with close-cut white hair in front of him. The bandages on his head felt tight and heavy as he lifted his head, and all he wanted to do was lay down to sleep and never wake up again._

 _"Sasuke-sama, the gentleman here paid respects to Fugaku-sama, and he has no ties to the Uchiha family." His bodyguard quietly addressed him._

 _"Mourning has no familial ties, but we are all familiar of the pain it causes." The elderly man gravely said as he knelt down to be on eye level with him in his wheelchair. "You lost your father at such a young age, and for that, I am truly sorry. He must at least have comfort in that you are still alive and relatively unscathed."_

 _Sasuke winced at his words, especially the part where his father must be happy that he was still alive. The last thing he could remember before the sickening crash was his father screaming his name in agony, and the terrifying shrieks of his mother as they collided head-on with another vehicle. While he was in a coma, the events leading up to the crash and the crash itself played again and again like a broken record that no one could fix._

 _He began to tremble as he thought about how his father was incredibly agitated, because he keyed a note in one of his recital songs wrong while he performed, and that his father had decided that Sasuke would have to practice for an additional hour each day just to ensure his next performance was flawless. He had retorted with the fact that his hands were just dry that day, and that his index finger had accidentally slipped, and that he did not need an additional hour of practice every day just to perfect his already perfect pieces._

 _His father then began shouting at him, about how he wasn't paying for his expensive violin lessons just for nothing. Mid-rant though, was when he heard the screech of the tires, the sickening crash, and his name in his father's last breath._

 _"I should've died, not him." Sasuke murmured as he wrapped his thin arms around his trembling frame. "I was a disgrace to him."_

 _"Sasuke-sama, you should not say such a thing!" The bodyguard admonished the young boy._

 _"Excuse me, young man. It seems that your master is cold; would you be able to fetch him a blanket?" The elderly man kindly said to him._

 _The bodyguard looked reluctant, but conceded as he realized that the only way the old man could leave was through the exit which also served as an entrance. Thus, his master would be safe for the time being. He walked away from them, neatly folding the umbrella and propping it up against Sasuke's wheelchair in case the sky decided to pour again._

 _When the bodyguard was out of sight, the elderly put both his hands on Sasuke's, which were holding the sides of his arms. His hands were warm, and they provided much needed grounding and comfort to Sasuke._

 _"Sasuke-kun, I hope you don't think that it is a mistake that you are alive. A life is a wonderful thing, and although you are going through great misfortune and pain, you are gifted with the chance to continue on living to create your own happiness in life at no behest of others." The older man's tone warm and understanding._

"I am perfectly happy with where I am at." Tanaka smiled at him, the corner of his eyes crinkling as he did so. "I've lived a good life, and now it is time for you to think further about yours, and also for you to put your own well-being ahead of mine."

"But, Jii-san, you are the father that I never had." Sasuke tightly said. "You must understand that I want you to be well."

"And you are the son that I could never have. I was lucky that my wife stayed with me even after knowing that I could never have children." He chuckled lightly at that and sighed. "It would make me so happy if you could find someone before it's my time. It shouldn't be hard, for you are such a handsome lad."

"Don't say that." Sasuke quickly shot back, his chest tight at the thought of not having these casual chats with his father figure anymore.

"I do not fear death, Sasuke. My wife has been patiently waiting for me all these years, and I can feel it in my bones and the weariness in my body. My time will come soon, and I will embrace it for I am satisfied with what I have done in this lifetime." Then he paused. "You know what, recently, a pretty young woman has been in the area. I happen to bump into her on my way here every morning. I believe you and her would get along quite nicely."

Sasuke nearly rolled his eyes at him. "Mother just tried to set me up last night; I'm not sure if I'm ready for another matchmaking encounter. Also, I thought you just said your wife's waiting for you. You're still checking other women out?"

"I am not…'checking her out' as you so callously say it." Tanaka whacked Sasuke resoundingly in the head with a roll of newspaper he retrieved from his gardener's belt. "Just because I am faithful does not mean I cannot think other individuals are good-looking, Sasuke."

Sasuke rubbed the spot he was hit with one hand, the other shoved into the front of his left jeans pocket. "Fine." He crossly said. "What's her name? We'll get this over with."

Tanaka eyed him for a brief moment before responding, "Sakura, I believe."

* * *

See you next time!

\- _Kanryu 23/05/2017_


	4. Accelerato

This chapter is a teensy bit late, but it's been a stressful summer.

But hey, I got a Masters now, woo!

Would love some reviews, please!

 **Disclaimer** : Don't own Naruto, but I own the ideas of this story.

* * *

 **Chapter III - Accelerato**

Sasuke's heartbeat quickened at the mention of her name. This is too much of a coincidence. "Oh?" He casually said at the mention of her name.

"What do you mean by that?" Tanaka looked ready to hit Sasuke again with the roll of newspaper, to which Sasuke quickly grabbed the roll away from him in one deft movement and twirled it once in his hands before sticking it through his back pocket. The old man mumbled, "Sometimes, I wonder if you would've been better off as a martial artist instead of a musician with those nimble limbs of yours."

"Doubt I would be as lucrative as I am now." Sasuke smirked.

Tanaka ignored him and crossed his hands behind his back before walking a couple steps away from the young man towards the rising sun. "Well, do you want to meet her, Sasuke?"

For the first time in his life, the raven found it difficult to admit his circumstances to his father figure. How could he explain to him of his infamous reputation for sleeping around with brainless beautiful women while simultaneously breaking their hearts, and that the woman he brought up to him was one he was already enraptured by at a chance concert the previous night? It seemed rather long and complicated while explaining it to himself in his mind, and he did not doubt it would confuse the poor old man.

"It's…complicated." Sasuke grumbled. For the first time in his life, he didn't have a sassy retort.

Tanaka eyed him for what seemed like an eternity before slowly saying, "Uchiha Sasuke, world-renowned violinist, is at a loss for words on the topic of charming a pretty woman? It seems rather uncanny to me since your mother has been sending you on these blasted dates as you so state."

"…"

"There's something you're not telling me, my child."

"…"

"Come now, I was a young man once." Tanaka turned to him and smiled, his crow's feet crinkling at him.

"Well, I was on a mother-assigned date again last night at Whimsical Concert Hall, and—"

"By the Gods, please don't tell me she was your date and you shagged her on the first date." Tanaka looked horrified.

"No! I didn't _shag_ her - I didn't sleep with anyone last night!" Sasuke said in a perplexed manner. "Oyaji ( _old man_ ), who says the word shag? Where are you learning your ghetto language from?"

"I overheard some young ones on the street, so I—" Tanaka thoughtfully began, before being cut off by Sasuke.

"No, don't listen to the weird language the kids use on the street. Just stick to your old fashioned vocabulary." Sasuke quickly said. "They're inappropriate words."

"Then quickly tell me the rest of the story, Sasuke, so I can see how complicated this situation is!" The old man reprimanded.

"There was a young lady who was the last performer of the night. She played Chopin's works beautifully well, and I—"

"—was immediately smitten with her." Tanaka excitedly interrupted him.

"Yes— _no_. She heard my witty remarks to my date from where she was performing, and mentioned that she wasn't interested in pursuing anything at this point. I offered to be her business partner by helping her with her career and potentially having her accompany some of my pieces." Sasuke lamely finished off. "I don't have her information or anything, but I'm certain that it won't be difficult for me to find it. Her assistant has my contact information anyway, so I could always wait for her to email me, as I was the one who offered the business partnership, so it would be appropriate for her to follow up with me."

"Sasuke! How could you let a gem like this run away?!" Tanaka looked beside himself with excitement and disappointment all at once. Sasuke had never seen him look like that before.

"Oyaji…why does it sound like you're more excited about this than I am? It's as if though you're the one about to go off on a date instead of me." Sasuke groaned before smacking his palm against his forehead in exasperation. "You don't even know if it's going to go well."

"Precisely that. What if it _does_ go well? Then what can you say?" His eyes glimmered at the thought.

Sasuke gave in at the hopeful look in his eyes. "Okay, okay. If you want, ask her if she wants to go on a blind coffee date with me, but she made it very clear to me the other night that she is not interested in entering any relationships at this time."

Tanaka waved a hand at him to brush him aside. "The young ones all say that nowadays. But before you know it, they're all in relationships. I'll work something out for the two of you."

"I wasn't _not_ going to pursue her, but I'm also not fond of having someone else ask a lady to a date on my behalf." Sasuke stated, an eyebrow raised questioningly at the elderly man.

"Well, if someone didn't mess up by not being able to hold his tongue initially, then maybe he wouldn't have to be embarrassed by having an old man do the dirty work for him." Tanaka mused.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Oyaji. Give me a text or call if things go as according to your plan." Sasuke rolled his eyes and pulled the roll of newspaper from his back pocket to hand back to the older man.

"Not if, Sasuke, it's _when_."

 _~.Dolce.~_

The ice tinkled into her glass cup as she pushed it against the ice dispenser on her fridge. Her hand lifted the cup up higher to the water dispenser, and her ears keenly listened to the hiss and crackle of the water as it sloshed into her cup, filling the cracks in the ice. As the water neared the rim of the cup, she instinctively pulled it away from the water dispenser and lifted it to her lips, the cool liquid wetting her lips before it slipped down her throat.

Carrying the half-empty glass in her hand, she slowly walked her way back to her seat on the piano bench before carefully placing the glass on a coaster on the coffee table situated right next to the piano. Making sure the glass was comfortably placed on the table, she turned to sit herself in the proper posture as she faced the piano, her feet angled correctly on the sustain pedal.

From her memory, she began to play _Claire de Lune_ , one of Debussy's many works. The sweet tinkling of the first few measures brought the beginnings of a smile to her lips, the pads of her fingers marvelling at the smooth keys beneath them as they danced to bring the love poem to life. The languid yet sweet rhythm of the exposition lightened her mood, whereas the tumultuous yet cheerful measures in the middle of the song made her heart ache painfully. The conclusion was beautifully written, as it slowed her heart back to a more reasonable pace. As she finished the contemporary piece, she readjusted her position on the piano bench and started to play the basic scales spanning four octaves in order to warm up her fingers more.

Although painstakingly basic, playing the scales for about a half hour each time she practiced helped warm her fingers for her performance pieces. She always played a piece she enjoyed at the beginning of practice, because there would be a slip here or there onto the wrong key, and that always reminded her that she could make mistakes, too. It was a method of grounding herself, that no matter how many beautiful pieces she could play, that each musician would still need to warm up regardless of the difficulty of pieces they play.

As she finished up her scales, she reached for Franz Liszt's _Liebestraum_ sheet music and spread it out over the music mount on the piano. Then she sat there in silence for a few minutes, her mind running through the memory of the music before she hovered her hands over the keyboard, poised to play.

Then the doorbell rang, before a voice crackled into the dimly lit room.

"Hi Sakura-san, it's Takeshi here. I'm here with your weekly groceries." Then his voice cut out.

The pinkette sighed and eased herself off of the bench, her soft slippers making small shuffling sounds on the hardwood. Her hands sought the wall panel at eye level for the buttons, and she pressed a finger against one of the buttons to unlock the complex's front door to her young assistant. Then she made her way to the kitchen, where she opened a cupboard and drew out a glass and filled it up at the sink. She left the glass on the counter by the corner — a sign that the glass was for him and not herself, and made her way to the couch to await his arrival.

The door opened with a tiny click, the rustling of bags audible in the quiet of the room as Takeshi made his way in. "Hey Sakura-san, hope I'm not intruding on your practice." He cheerfully said.

She heard him sit down on the step leading from the front foyer and into the living room, and soon the untying of his shoelaces, the aglets flicking gently across the leather of his Converse. "You'll never be an intruder, Takeshi." Sakura found herself smiling at the happy-go-lucky nature of her friend and assistant.

"Oh-ho, I don't know about that." Takeshi laughed good-humouredly.

"There's a glass of water for you on the countertop. Thank you as always for helping me out with the groceries. But honestly, you don't have to do it; I can always just call _Skip the Dishes_ for take-out or just hire someone to do my groceries for me." Sakura sighed. "I feel bad for making you take time out of your days off to come over when you already see me so often."

Takeshi took the glass of water off the counter and drained it before leaving it empty back on the counter. "It's honestly no big deal. The days that you need groceries are pretty much the same days I do. Besides, you eat like a rabbit. If I don't leave meals prepped in the fridge, you'll pretty much just eat one meal a day — most likely take out — and then end up too sickly to show up for performances."

Sakura bit back a smile. Takeshi knew her a little too well. "Regardless, I appreciate your kindness in helping me out. But one thing I do have to mention, though, Takeshi."

"Yes?" Takeshi was busy in the kitchen taking her groceries out of the bags and lining them up on the counter. They always have a game they play every time he buys groceries for her.

Sakura got off of the couch and walked the few steps to the kitchen, her hands brushing against the sides of the counter to make sure she didn't slam her hip into it. "I gave you the keys to my place for a reason, Takeshi. You don't have to buzz every time to ask me to open the door for you." She smelled fresh cucumbers, corn on the cob, and some type of meat which was not lamb. She _hated_ lamb with a passion.

"I know, but I don't want you to have any unnecessary surprises." He said in a serious manner, before his tone lightened up. "So, what do you think is out in front of you today? There are 5 items."

"Well, there's cucumbers, corn on the cob, some type of meat—" Sakura started, before she was cut off.

"Nuh-uh. You can't do that as per the game rules! You have to at least guess what type of meat it is." Takeshi gave a light chuckle at her vague guess.

"Fine." She allowed herself to slightly pout before leaning down to get a closer smell of the meat. One of the packages smelled thickly of iron, and she immediately took a guess. "Beef."

"Correct. And the other?"

Sakura drifted to another of the packages, and the proximity she was at with it chilled her cheek. There was barely any hint of iron associated with it, but there was a weird sweet smell. And knowing what she did about Takeshi's preference about chicken versus turkey, she decided to take a wild stab at it. "It should be turkey."

A brief moment of silence passed before he spoke up. "I'm surprised you could smell the difference between chicken and turkey."

Sakura straightened up before jokingly admonishing him. "Shame on you for putting sweet bell peppers literally right next to the turkey! It was super confusing, as I was wondering what kind of meat would smell this sweet!"

"You've only guessed wrong a handful of times! I had to make the game a bit harder for you in order to train your senses better, ya know?" Sakura could hear the smile on his lips.

"Maybe I'll make it so that your position requires you to be able to read music braille. I think that'll be a good way to train your brain a little, don't you think?" Sakura mused. "Or it just means someone will replace you."

"That's a cruel joke, Sakura-san!" Takeshi feigned hurt. "Anywho, I hope you'll enjoy what I'm meal-prepping for you this week. Some days will be turkey, peppers and quinoa, or beef, corn, and rice."

"I don't really seem to have a choice that you're planning on making me have a diet like a health nut."

"It's good to be healthy, Sakura-san."

"I still prefer my sweets. Let a girl have her pastries. Gotta have some enjoyment in life other than just being an apparently talented and blind pianist."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll remember to get your favourite desserts next time." Takeshi complied, a hint of sadness in his tone. "But speaking of enjoyment, remember the night Uchiha-san introduced himself to you?"

She did remember and quite vividly, too. Well, as vividly as any blind person could. "Yes, I do remember the man. Why do you ask, Takeshi?"

"Well…he mentioned that if I let him in to talk to you, I could just email him to ask for a pair of free tickets to his next concert. And since you love performing in and listening to performances, I thought it would be a good offer to take him up on." The faucet started running, and she could hear the slight squeak as he rinsed the vegetables thoroughly.

Sakura considered what he said briefly. "I'm not sure whether I should be proud or if I should be concerned that my assistant sold me out for a couple of concert tickets."

"Hey, now! You know I would've thrown him out if he tried anything." He defensively retorted.

"Past behaviour does set precedence for the future."

 _~.Dolce.~_

"What're you working on, Otouto?" A voice ghosted over the nape of his neck and made Sasuke jump.

He violently ripped off the headphones from his head and whipped around to glare at his older brother. "Aniki, _how many times have I told you_ ** _not_** _to do that_?!" He hissed vehemently at him, his eyes burning holes into his brother's casual gaze. The unsuspected warmth of his brother's breath across his skin raised goosebumps across his neck.

"And how many times do you think I've knocked and repeated your name before I decided to do what I did?" Itachi lazily drawled, his arms crossed against his chest.

"Normal people would lightly tap someone on the shoulder if they're not responding." Sasuke threw his hands up in the air before he turned back to his computer. "What do you want?"

"Nothing much. Mother was concerned about the fact that you decided to make a contract with some random performer whom we've never met before." Itachi yawned as he sat down at the foot of Sasuke's bed. "But she didn't want you to yell at her, so she sent me instead."

"Sometimes, you just need to take risks." Sasuke rolled his eyes at the screen as he continued to type out the contract. "Also, sending a research scientist to win a discussion against a musician is not exactly the smartest move. Neither of the two parties can understand the other."

Itachi ignored the latter statement. "Well, for starters, is one of the risks trying to date this performer? I mean, one of the lines here in the contract specifies that she has to go for coffee with you at a minimum of once per week." He peered at the tiny words on the screen, wondering at what his little brother was typing out. "I'm almost certain that if you work your usual charms that you will have her bedded within a month."

Sasuke was about to throw a very nasty reply at him until he noticed that he had received a new email from an _Ishikawa Takeshi_. Without responding to his brother, he immediately clicked on it.

 _Good evening, Uchiha-san,_

 _This is Ishikawa Takeshi, assistant of the pianist, Haruno Sakura-san, from the other night. I hope that you have been well since we last met. Haruno-san would like to extend her gratitude in your attendance to her concert as well as the kind words you spoke to her backstage._

 _Her next concert is slated to be in a week's time at 7:00pm, and the both of us would love to have you attend once again. Attached to this email are two tickets for the concert at the Fuego Concert Hall for the Friday night._

 _Haruno-san extends her apologies that she could not contact you directly as she does not have your contact information, but hopes that you find tickets to her next concert to your liking._

 _If you give me permission, I will pass along your email to her, so that you can correspond with her directly._

 _Until next time._

 _Yours truly,_

 _Takeshi_

"Haruno Sakura, hmm? I feel like I've heard her name somewhere before…" Itachi mused as he peered over Sasuke's shoulder, having clearly read what was just sent.

Without a word, Sasuke shoved Itachi out his bedroom and pushed the doorknob in to lock his door to prevent his brother from coming back in.

With a sigh, Sasuke sat back down and hit ' _Reply_ '.

 _Good evening to you as well,_

 _It would be an honour to be able to attend her concert—_

Sasuke sighed again and scrapped the email. He would have to finish the contract first before he could email her back. No, it would be fine to email them back. He could offer his own tickets in return, which he did offer the assistant in return initially. It would be rude to rescind his offer and could put him in the bad graces of the talented lady. But if he responded right away, then it would make him look desperate. However, there is a 24 hour time period where it is not considered rude to respond to a business email. Any time after that would be considered bad manners.

He'll have to think on it, but for now, sleep may be in order to calm this frustration.

And all for a woman who sassed him back? Shouldn't he be more pissed than frustrated?

Maybe he is losing his touch.

* * *

 **A/N** : I promise that the two of them will see each other and talk next chapter.

 **P.S.** No, Takeshi and Sakura will NOT be an item.

\- _Kanryu 27/08/2017_


End file.
